Welcome to My Participant Page

I will be participating for my second year in the Walk for Alzheimer's, a cause that raises money for the Alzheimer society in an attempt to provide programs and services to alleviate the personal and social consequences of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

As some of you may know, Alzheimer's disease is very near and dear to my heart, and that of my family. Alzheimer's basically starts as a mild memory loss, but in the end stages of the disease it progresses to the loss of ability to be able to move and even swallow, eventually killing the person.

I was relatively young as I watched my "babcia" suffer from this disease, and did not realize until well after she passed away the impact of Alzheimer's disease. I clearly remember being well into the primary or even middle grades of elementary school and having to remind her that I was no longer in kindergarten. I remember having to tell her my name. I remember trying to encourage her to eat. Although I don't remember much, it stings just a little to use the words "I remember" because even though I could, I know that she couldn't. I know that my inability to recall these details is due to my younger age and my lack of understanding of what was going on, but her inability was due to a disease that was slowly destroying her brain and the person that she once was. A disease that we don't know enough about to cure.

I participate in the Walk for Alzheimer's to remember my babcia. I participate to raise awareness and funds for the research, programs, and services necessary to make a better life for those with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias, and their loved ones. I participate so that maybe one day, someone won't have to remind their loved one of who they are. I participate so that someone won't have to watch their spouse slowly become someone they don't recognize and a child won't have to remind their parent to eat their dinner or use the toilet as they themselves were once reminded to as a young child. I participate because I remember the times of lucidity that my babcia experienced that gives me hope that there can be a cure for this disease. I participate because I hope to one day live in a world without Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

To quote Grey's Anatomy, "Alzheimer's is a bad disease. We should cure it."

Please considering making a donation or joining me in this journey to fight Alzheimer's disease.